|
Education
in Action:
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
Vol. 1
An America's Best Comics trade paperback review
By
Troy Brownfield
Writers:
Alan Moore
Artist: Kevin O'Neill
More
Info: www.wildstorm.com
|
If
any man can lay claim to the title of the poet laureate of
comics, that man is Britain's Alan Moore. Having spent the
last few decades pushing the form into maturity with noted
runs on "Swamp Thing" and "Miracleman", and the brilliant
trifecta of "Watchmen", "V for Vendetta" and "From Hell",
Moore's style emphasizes that comics can indeed be literature.
Tying this concept together further, Moore and artist Kevin
O'Neill released the hugely popular "League of Extraordinary
Gentlemen" a few years ago.
Pitting
literary heroes Alan Quatermaine, Mina Murray, Dr. Henry Jekyl
(and his other half), the Invisible Man, and Captain Nemo
against Fu Manchu and Moriarity, the six-issue series was
a rocket-ride through Victorian literature, infused with the
energy of comics and the snide humor of the well-read. In
fact, I can't figure out if English profs would consider this
work anathema or a Godsend. I've got a Master's Degree, and
I remember the contempt that some people had for comics. Of
course, there were several profs who were fans themselves.
Frankly, anything that would make today's audience slip back
and read the original works has to be considered a positive.
(I'll reserve judgment on the forthcoming film till I see
it; I still think that shoehorning Dorian Gray and Tom Sawyer
into the plot is fairly asinine.)
Moore
and O'Neill have brought their "League" back for a second
go-round; the first issue embraced a plot seed from the first
series as Edgar Rice Burroughs mainstay John Carter and Gullivar
team up to lead an army of their Martian allies against another
alien faction. Sensing defeat, the aggressors head for the
next convenient target: Earth. If this sounds vaguely reminiscent
of something by H.G. Wells, collect your brown wedge and roll
again.
The
charm of new series, and the original "League" is the incorporation
of all these Victorian stories into one epic pastiche. Nothing
important is ignored; over the course of the main story and
text pages from the first series, Moore found ways to work
in 1800s advertisements, H.P. Lovecraft, Wells's Time Traveler,
and even Dr. Syn. Setting a perfect counterpoint for all of
this is O'Neill's art. Simultaneously richly detailed and
suffused with pulp flavor, the visuals lend great flair to
an already clever story. For a discerning reader looking for
comics that engage both the eyes and the mind, "League of
Extraordinary Gentlemen" is a rare treat.
Troy
Brownfield has two English degrees. His favorite work of "literature"
as defined by "the canon" would have to be . . .
ah screw it. His favorite books are "Watership Down",
"The Stand", "The Big Sleep", "Tales
of Mystery and Imagination", "The Dunwich Horror
and Others", and "The Lord of The Rings". Email
Troy at: psikotyk@aol.com
|
